The Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers said Tuesday that a two-phase truce deal with Israel was almost complete, and could go into effect later this week. «We are close to declaring an agreement on the calm, barring unforeseen developments,» Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told The Associated Press. Another Hamas official said the first phase of the deal could start as early as Thursday, with a three-day cessation of hostilities. Israel would then open a border crossing with Gaza to let in raw materials, like cement, banned under a months-old Israeli blockade. The second phase would focus on Hamas' returning a captured Israeli soldier it has held for two years, he said. In exchange, Israel would reopen Gaza's main gateway, the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The closure of Rafah has prevented the vast majority of Gaza's 1.4 million people from traveling abroad.
